Dino Kale brings the drama of dinosaur-era foliage into your garden, with deeply textured, black-green leaves that look almost reptilian in their rippled complexity. Don't let the rough appearance fool you: beneath that tough exterior lies surprisingly sweet, tender flesh that keeps gardeners coming back season after season. This Tuscan heirloom grows to 18-36 inches tall and reaches harvest in just 65 days, thriving in full sun across hardiness zones 1-10. Hardy enough to withstand frost, it's a reliable, long-season companion that rewards patient gardeners with consistent harvests from spring through fall.
Full Sun
Moderate
1-10
36in H x 18in W
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Moderate
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The black-green foliage of Dino Kale is nearly reptilian in character, deeply hued and rippled with a texture that speaks to its Tuscan heritage. Despite its seemingly impenetrable exterior, the leaves are remarkably sweet and tender when cooked or raw, a textural contradiction that surprises every time you harvest. This variety has earned its name through decades of global cultivation, known by many aliases including Lacinato, Cavolo Nero, and Tuscan Kale, each name reflecting its journey across different gardening traditions.
Dino Kale excels both raw and cooked, adapting to virtually any culinary application. The tender leaves work beautifully in salads when harvested young, develop complex sweetness when braised or sautéed, and hold their structure in soups without becoming mushy. Its inherent sweetness makes it exceptional for massaged kale salads, while its sturdy texture supports hearty Italian preparations like ribollita or traditional Tuscan kale soups. Many gardeners harvest individual leaves throughout the season rather than cutting the whole plant, extending productivity from a single sowing.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your target transplant date, maintaining soil temperatures of 65-75°F for reliable germination. Transplant seedlings outdoors when they develop their first true leaves and soil temperatures have reached at least 50°F.
Transplant seedlings outdoors when soil has warmed to at least 50°F and they have developed sturdy stems. Space plants 18 inches apart with 12 inches between rows. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7-10 days before final planting.
Direct sow seeds outdoors when soil temperatures reach 65-75°F, placing seeds 1/4 inch deep. In cooler climates, this typically means late spring or early summer for summer/fall harvests.
Harvest individual outer leaves once the plant reaches 12-14 inches tall, typically around 65 days from transplanting. Pinch or cut leaves cleanly from the base of the stem, working from the outside toward the center. The plant will continue producing new leaves from the center for weeks or months. For a full harvest, cut the entire head once it reaches mature size, leaving a few inches of stem to potentially regrow. Leaves are most tender in cool weather and improve in sweetness after frost.
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“Dino Kale carries the story of the Tuscan landscape in its leaves, known by Italian gardeners as Cavolo Nero and by global seed savers under names like Lacinato and Palm Tree Kale. The variety represents centuries of Mediterranean agricultural tradition, preserved and passed down by gardeners worldwide who recognized its exceptional value as a consistent, long-season producer. Its journey from European fields to home gardens everywhere speaks to the power of heritage vegetables to transcend borders, each gardener who saves seed and plants it again contributing to its ongoing story of survival and adaptation.”